SZ unveils citywide open road testing guidelines for intelligent connected vehicles

Shenzhen has launched the nation’s first comprehensive “citywide open” road technology guidelines for intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs), marking a major milestone in China’s autonomous driving sector. 

The Shenzhen Intelligent Connected Vehicle Road Testing and Demonstration Application Open Road Technical Guidelines are the country’s first to implement a fully open approach covering the entire city, all vehicle types, and all real-world scenarios. These guidelines offer the most open and adaptive technical framework for highly autonomous (Level 4) and fully autonomous (Level 5) vehicles, alongside a complex urban road environment tailored for rigorous validation.

Visitors take photos of a car on display at the ongoing Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Auto Show. Liu Xudong

The guidelines clearly outline principles and the scope for granting road access to ICVs. They establish a comprehensive road complexity grading system and set corresponding requirements for testing and demonstration applications based on the complexity levels. 

By enabling extensive road access across multiple scenarios, Shenzhen aims to pioneer a new management model for ICVs and position itself as a national benchmark for open road testing and demonstration.

By May 2025, Shenzhen has opened a total of 2,101 kilometers of roads to ICV testing and demonstration, accounting for roughly 24% of the city’s total road network. The city has issued China’s first Level 3 high-speed road testing permit and the first autonomous mini-truck test license plate. So far, 1,170 test and demonstration permits have been granted to 20 enterprises.